Cassandra's Descent
by MntT77
Summary: Cassandra has succeeded in destroying Soul Edge and Soul Calibur. However, when she returns home to Athens, she finds that her troubles are far from over...
1. The Journey Home

"I can't believe it. I've finally ridded the world of two great evils"

Cassandra had managed to defeat Algol, and destroy Soul Edge, which she had been searching for ever since her sister, Sophitia, had become infected with its evil, and caused her children to become infected as well. Cassandra had sought the Holy Stone to destroy this sword, but soon came to realise that this Holy Stone (which she later discovered to be Soul Calibur) posed just as big a threat to the world as Soul Edge. She still remembers its final words: "You dare to extinguish the light of humanity just to suit yourself?" Though Cassandra knew that such a sword could not exist in this world, these words still caused her some anxiety, though she took care not to show it. Now that her task had been completed, all that Cassandra wanted to do was return home and live a normal life.

Cassandra peered down at her sword and shield, which Rothion had forged for her after the sacred weapons she had previously used were damaged. The shield was cracked slightly, but still stable, and the sword had begun to lose some of its lustre, and was not as sharp. Cassandra sighed lightly.

"I'm tired of fighting", she said to herself. "I'm glad that I don't have to fight anymore"

Cassandra was tempted to cast her weapons aside, to signify her resolve for a peaceful future, but reluctantly kept them on her person, as a means of protection should any more danger come her way.

Cassandra had not seen her sister for many months, and could hardly wait for them to be reunited. When she had returned to Athens from her first journey, Sophitia had already left on another quest to destroy Soul Edge, and she had not been to Athens again since. Regardless, she did not have far left to go – another fifty miles and she would have finished her journey.

Along the way, Cassandra cheered herself up by thinking of Sophitia's children, Pyrrha and Patroklos. She imagined their smiling faces peering up at her, with that sense of excitement and inquisitiveness that all small children possess. She knew that they could now live safely, without fear, and with their mother, and this made her happier.

Cassandra also thought about the family bakery, for which she had previously run errands. Whilst her work was often boring, she always cheered up when the aroma of fresh bread filled the premise, and for many years, before Sophitia had become entangled with Soul Edge, she had been happy with this state of affairs. Suddenly, Cassandra felt a sliver of pain slide through her stomach. She remembered that she had not yet eaten that day, and decided that she should buy some food when she came to the nearest town.

A few hours later, Cassandra also found herself reminiscing about the times where Sophitia had been in danger. Over seven years previously, Sophitia had been wounded by Soul Edge, and Cassandra had waited anxiously for her return. She had been the only person to believe Sophitia's story, and consequently, before Sophitia met Rothion and married, she was the only person that Sophitia felt able to trust. Thus, when Sophitia collapsed upon having a vision of Soul Edge, only Cassandra understood what was happening to her. From that day on, Cassandra felt that the burden of Sophitia's plight should rest on her shoulders instead. Cassandra was imbued with not just maternal instinct, but also an instinct to help everyone who had been betrayed by Soul Edge. But now, Soul Edge could never harm anyone again.

Cassandra looked up towards the sky. "Hephaestus!" she shouted with intense anger. "Look at what I have accomplished! I have destroyed the sword which caused you so much fear – the sword that threatened to humiliate you. Ha! Humiliate – I bet you never cared at all about the harm it could cause other people! All the people that it has massacred and driven insane. No – clearly your reputation as a holy blacksmith is much more important. Well, count yourself lucky! But don't ever call out my sister for your 'holy' pursuits again! She has enough troubles as it is. If you really are a god worthy of the title, acknowledge me!"

She stared up at the night sky; stars were beginning to appear. The air carried a faint chill across the land. Nothing happened as she waited for Hephaestus to answer. "No, I didn't think so…" By this point, Cassandra's legs had begun to ache from the hours of walking she had endured. She decided that she should find some shelter and rest for the night. Eventually, a charitable family in a nearby village agreed to let her into their home for the night, and gave her some bread to eat. Cassandra found herself with an insatiable appetite, and soon there was not even a single crumb of the bread left. Afterwards, Cassandra lay down on the kitchen floor, which was hard and uncomfortable. Still hanging onto her tarnished weapons, Cassandra tried to sleep, but found that it was impossible. She spent most of the night staring at the ceiling – she knew that she could not be happy until she had seen her sister again.

This had been Cassandra's routine for many weeks – as she made the long and dangerous journey back to her homeland, and sought shelter from the bitter cold of winter, her mind was calmed with thoughts of her family, and of the many happy moments Sophitia's children would come to cherish in the future. Without these thoughts, she might have given up long ago. But Cassandra was not a quitter – she had a strong heart, and knew what she wanted. Though she had a jaded opinion of the gods that Sophitia worshipped with such piety, and despite some morally ambiguous decisions (in particular, stealing the sacred weapons which were left upon Hephaestus' shrine), Cassandra's intentions were unquestionably noble, and with this in mind, she did not care at all about the scorn which other residents of Athens might show towards her. She had done what she had intended, and nothing could sway this sense of pride that filled her heart.

Finally, after travelling many hundreds of miles, Cassandra's journey was complete – she had returned to Athens. Cassandra suddenly felt an intense elation that bordered on ecstasy – she had to close her eyes and re-open them to make sure that this was not simply a wonderful dream. She had finally returned home. She felt tears of joy prickling her eyes, and wiped them away with her hand. Immediately, ignoring her fatigue and aching limbs, she ran straight towards Sophitia's house.

By the time she had reached her sister's home, she could scarcely contain herself. She felt that she would burst into flames if she kept her destruction of the swords a secret. It was a huge effort just to keep herself from screaming.

"Sophitia! Sophitia!"

Cassandra saw Sophitia, along with her husband, Rothion, and her son, Patroklos, who were all kneeling in the sitting room.

"Sophitia! I have wonderful news!"

Sophitia looks up mournfully. "Oh. Cassandra. You're safe." As she said this, Sophitia's voice was solemn and despondent, and her eyes were bloodshot. It was clear to Cassandra that something was not right.

"Sophitia? What's wrong?"

"Oh, Cassandra. It's terrible, terrible…"

Cassandra over at Rothion. He was so torn with grief that he was unable to speak, and he kept his head bowed, as though he could not bear the weight of their situation.

"Please", Cassandra said. "Tell me. What has happened?"

Sophitia was unable to answer at first, but eventually she regained her composure, and looked directly at Cassandra. "She had your eyes… your wonderful emerald green eyes." Sophitia hugs Patroklos, who had begun to whimper, and kisses his forehead.

"Cassandra", Sophitia said finally. "Pyrrha is dead."

This revelation would come back to haunt Cassandra for many years to come, but of course she had no way of knowing this. Cassandra found herself overcome with horror and anguish, and she found that she was unable to stop herself crying. Her tears shed like rainfall, and for a long while the four of them were unable to do anything but cry for the fate of poor, gentle Pyrrha.


	2. Sisters Torn Apart

Cassandra could hardly believe what had happened. She had travelled so far to ease Sophitia's burden, and now one of her children was dead. Before the silence could become completely overbearing, Cassandra found herself asking, "How did this happen?"

"I don't know", Rothion replied. "Pyrrha and Patroklos were playing together outside, when suddenly… she fell unconscious. Her heart simply stopped beating. There was nothing we could do." He erupts into further tears. "How is that possible? How does a child's heart just stop beating?"

Sophitia shuddered. "I never got to see Pyrrha during her last moments", Sophitia said. "I thought I was protecting my children, but clearly I was wrong. I'm a terrible mother."

"Don't ever say that", Rothion said. "There was no way you could have known that this would happened – this isn't your fault."

"Yes it is. It is my fault, I know it! I should have been there for her! Why wasn't I there for her?" Sophitia's forcefulness shocks Patroklos, and he starts to cry. "You see?" Sophitia said. "I'm a terrible mother. I can't even comfort the child I still have" She hugs Patroklos again. "I should have been there for her…"

"Now darling…"

"I'm sorry, Rothion". Sophitia got up suddenly. "I can't stay here. I just… I just can't"

Cassandra watched Sophitia run out of the house. "Should I go after her?" Cassandra asked.

"No. We should leave her alone for a while. I think we all need some time to reflect upon this terrible turn of events."

As he leaves the room with Patroklos, Rothion said, "If it helps, Pyrrha didn't suffer in any way when she died. Her final moments were moments of innocence and joy." He tries desperately to put a smile on his face, but the smile cracks almost immediately. He turns away. Soon enough, Cassandra is left alone in their house.

She decides to visit the children's bedroom. She looks at the two matching oak beds, one of which would never be slept in again, with their matching blankets and matching wooden dolls tucked behind the pillows, both dressed in scuffed pieces of fabric. She soon realised that she could not bear to be in the room any longer, and quickly shuffled out.

Cassandra had been alone in the house for over half an hour, and she felt that she should try and find Sophitia. Her instincts immediately propelled her to the Eurydice Shrine, where Sophitia had often worshipped during her formative years. These instincts proved to be correct, because Cassandra immediately saw her kneeling at the large marble steps, holding her hands in prayer.

"I had a feeling I'd find you here"

Sophitia turned around. "Cassandra..." Her voice drifted off once again.

"It's quite inspiring that you can still find faith in times such as these", Cassandra said. "I lost my faith in the 'powers that be' a long time ago"

"Why did you come here?"

"Because you're my sister, and I want to help you, that's why!"

"I don't think you can help me. In fact, I'm not sure if anyone can. I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive myself". Suddenly, Sophitia's eyes became more alert, and focused upon Cassandra. "When you came home, you told me that you had good news. What was it?"

"Er, now probably isn't the best time."

"Please. I want to know. It really can't get any worse than this – I need some cheering up."

"Well, OK", Cassandra relented. "I've managed to destroy the two legendary swords, Soul Edge and Soul Calibur"

Sophitia's eyes widened, and a look of disbelief spread across her face. "You… destroyed Soul Edge?"

"Yes. I felt that you shouldn't have that bur-"

Cassandra stops suddenly when she sees Sophitia's countenance. Sophitia finds herself quivering with rage. Her fists are clenched, her face has morphed from disbelief into passionate fury, and even her eyes seem to twinkle with anger. Suddenly, she punches Cassandra in the face. "You stupid bitch! Do you realise what you've done?"

Cassandra is caught in a stupor, and does not respond.

"You've killed my daughter!"

"What? What do you mean?"

"My daughter depended upon Soul Edge to live. Her soul and the soul of that sword had become entwined, and when you destroyed it, you destroyed my child in the process!"

Cassandra could not believe it. "No… no, you must be mistaken, surely?"

"Leave"

"I'm sorry?"

"I said leave. I don't want to see your face ever again!"

Cassandra began to cry, and as she ran out of the temple she covered her face and cried further. She could not believe that this was really happening. "Surely", she thought,"this must be a horrible dream, and I'll wake up at any moment and we'll all be happy again. Together." But unfortunately, Cassandra soon had to accept that she was not in a dream – she was wide awake and trapped in the real world. Pyrrha was dead, and Sophitia was convinced that she was to blame.

Within days, news of Cassandra's supposed murder of Pyrrha had spread throughout Athens, and she became reviled by everyone she had previously known and trusted. She could not plead that she had not killed the young girl, because in truth she had, by destroying Soul Edge, but the rumours that spread about her became increasingly sinister. Some suggested that she had stabbed the poor girl in the heart while she was asleep, whilst others said that she had slipped poison into her food, and some even suggested that she had drowned her in the lake. Rothion, of course, knew these rumours to be entirely false, but he was so choked with grief that he struggled to speak, let alone deny these allegations. It also became known that Cassandra had destroyed Soul Calibur, and those who were unaware of its sinister nature persecuted Cassandra further for annihilating the sword that was meant to bring everlasting peace to the world.

Immediately after Pyrrha's funeral, which Cassandra had not been allowed to attend, the people of Athens decided that justice must be served. Cassandra was stripped of all her belongings except for the clothes on her back, and she was ordered to leave Athens and never come back. If she did return, the punishment would be death. As she walked away from the city for the final time, she looked at Sophitia, "Please. You can't do this."

Sophitia's face was grave. "Cassandra, even if I wanted to forgive you for what you've done, I wouldn't be able to. You killed my child."

"Please. I didn't mean to kill her. I didn't know about her connection with Soul Edge. You can't do this to me!"

Sophitia lowered her voice to practically a whisper. "Even if no one else knows it for sure, I do. You killed her. And I can never look at you in the same way because of it"

Without another word, Cassandra walked away from the angry crowd, and away from Athens, leaving behind her home and her former life. She could hardly believe it. In less than a week, Cassandra's life had changed irrevocably, and the future looked to be ruled by uncertainty and danger. She had no idea where she would go, or what she would do, or how she was going to do it. She longed for the simple days of being a baker's daughter, which she knew she could never return to. She tried to cry, but found that she had run out of tears.

For weeks, Cassandra wandered aimlessly through the vast countryside, constantly struggling to find enough sustenance to stay alive, all whilst being completely and utterly alone. Even when kindly people offered her shelter, she was still alone within her mind – everyone that had ever mattered to her had abandoned her. Most of them probably thought that she was dead by now. One night, when she was about to settle down under a nearby tree to rest, she heard a snarling noise in the distance.

"What was that?"

She turned and saw a shadowed, hunched figure in the distance. Against her better judgment, she went to see who it was. She walked towards the creature, and when it came into view, she was repulsed by what she saw. The creature that she was looking at was not human – it was an overgrown reptile, with flaky, scaly green skin and sharp, oversized teeth. Its bulging eyes stared into the distance. Cassandra was appalled.

"What are you?"

The reptile turned its attention towards Cassandra, and she saw that it was holding an axe and a shield in its hands. Cassandra made a movement to grab her own weapons, then realised in horror that she had none – she had been stripped of all her possessions when she was sent away from Athens. Thus, Cassandra now found herself completely at the mercy of this terrible creature, which continued to move towards her. She remained frozen to the spot in fear.


	3. Humanity Restored

"Get away from me, you slimy monster!"

Cassandra continues to walk backwards, away from this abomination – she is too shocked and afraid to run. Lizardman swipes at her with his axe, and she quickly ducks to avoid his attack.

"No! Go away!"

Lizardman swiped at her again, and she had to sway to her left.

"This isn't right! It wasn't meant to end like this!"

Lizardman swipes at her a third time, and this time it's grazes her right arm slightly.

"Alright! I've had enough of this!" With a sudden burst of energy, Cassandra holds her hands out to push him away, hoping that she might get past her shock in the process and gain an opportunity to flee. However, the instant that her hands came into contact with his chest, Lizardman let out a horrific wail that pierced Cassandra's ears.

"Huh?" Cassandra looked down and saw that white smoke was billowing out of his skin, which she was still touching with her hands. She tried to pull herself away, but found that she was trapped – she could not remove herself from this abominable creature. Lizardman let out another terrible cry – it was clear that he was in considerable pain. Suddenly, Cassandra felt as though she was falling down an immense cavern – she became blind to everything except the white smoke which continued to ebb between her fingers, and she had an awful sensation of plummeting into the earth. Suddenly, she found herself screaming, and then, she and Lizardman fell to the ground, unconscious.

Some hours later, Cassandra awakens and groans slightly.

"What the hell just happened?" Cassandra tried to understand what had occurred between them, but it was so unrelentingly surreal that thinking about the situation only made it seem more perplexing. She looked over at Lizardman – he was just starting to come to as well, his tongue protruding between two of his front teet. Before too long he was fully conscious as well, and peered at her with an expression that Cassandra was unable to decipher.

"You… You are my saviour. You've given me back my soul"

Immediately he dropped his weapons and hugged her; Cassandra was now even more confused. "You can talk? What's going on here?"

"You've saved me! I can never thank you enough!"

"But why did you try to attack me earlier?"

Lizardman stops hugging her, and looks down at her youthful face. "For a long time", he began, "I had lost all sense of my former self. I had lost my soul, the one thing that tied me to humanity. For years, memories of my human life taunted me – I had almost forgotten what it was like to be human. And now… you've given it back to me. My humanity. I may still be trapped in a lizard's body, but now that I have my soul back, suddenly the world doesn't seem so hopeless…"

"You mean you used to be human?"

"Yes. My tale is a most unfortunate one. My name was Aeon Calcos, and I was a Spartan soldier. I had been sent on a holy quest to destroy Soul Edge by Hephaestus…"

"Urgh!" Cassandra interrupted. "Hephaestus! I don't ever want to hear his name again! With all the suffering that he's caused my sister he doesn't even deserve to be called a god!"

"Believe me, for a long time I harboured a hatred for Hephaestus even more intense than yours. I wanted to reclaim Soul Edge and, rather than destroy it, use it to murder him myself. But soon, even human traits such as revenge became unknown to me – I had reverted to a complete primal state. And so I sought after Soul Edge for a different reason – to regain my lost soul, which Soul Edge held within itself. So how is it that you have been able to return it to me?"

Cassandra realised that this unfortunate man was likely to be the only person she could confide in, and so she decided to relate her tale as well. "I destroyed Soul Edge. But when I returned home, it turned out that Sophitia's daughter had depended upon the sword for survival. Sophitia said that I'd murdered her, and thus I was banished from my homeland. For weeks I've had nowhere to go – how I've survived this long I'm not sure. And then I met you…"

Lizardman's face lit up. "When you destroyed Soul Edge, you must have assimilated the souls contained within it, including mine. Somehow, you were able not only to return that soul to me, but also to purify me of my evil deeds. Because of that, I've forever indebted to you. Whatever you wish me to do, I shall accomplish it." He knelt down in front of her.

There were many things that Cassandra wished for, but she knew that it would be impossible for this tortured man to fulfil them. "If you really want to help me", Cassandra said finally, "then tell me where I should go from her"

"What do you mean?"

Suddenly, Cassandra became unable to control her frustration. "Don't you understand? I've lost everything that ever mattered to me! Everyone I loved, everything I ever knew!" Hot tears streamed down her cheeks. "What's a girl supposed to do when she's lost everything?" She sat down on a nearby rock and found that her emotions were in control of her once again. Lizardman looked at her for a while, and let her shed some of her grief. After she was finished, he put his hand on her shoulder.

"Come with me", he said after a little while.

Cassandra sniffed. "What?"

"Join me as a friend. I can help you, and you can help me. Even if society can never accept us for who we are, it won't matter, as long as we can accept each other"

Cassandra was amazed. "How can you be so cheerful, when we're under such dire circumstances?"

"I don't think you realise just how important your returning of my human sanity was to me. It was the one thing that I wanted, the one thing that I needed, and now you've given it back to me. Even if I am still a lizard on the outside, that doesn't matter anymore – I know in my heart that I am human once again. We've been brought together for a reason, I know it. Come."

Cassandra was still unsure about joining him, but she realised that she had very little left to lose, and decided that having anyone for company, even a total stranger, would be better than being isolated from the rest of the world. He took her hand, and they began to walk into the sunset.

"Hey, Aeon."

He turned to her. "Yes?"

"Thank you"

The two continued walking hand-in-hand. Cassandra had no idea where they were going, and she suspected that he did not know either, but she felt in her heart that her life could still be salvaged. There would be tough times ahead, she knew that very well, but with Lizardman by her side, who periodically stroked her face to comfort her, she was sure that there would be happy moments ahead as well, and she hoped that these happy moments would turn her life into something worthwhile after all.


	4. A New Family

Cassandra and Lizardman had been travelling together for hours, and from Cassandra's point of view they seemed to be getting nowhere. By this point, Cassandra had become exhausted, and Lizardman was carrying her on his back.

"Are you sure you know where we're going?" Cassandra asked, with a hint of fear in her voice.

"Yes. Trust me. I have friends who can help us"

"Friends?"

"I am not the only person to have been cursed with this fate. Other unfortunate souls have succumbed to this torture as well. They look up to me. In some ways I am their leader. At first, we grouped together out of necessity, rather than choice – without companionship we would have lost all hope long ago. But soon that reluctance blossomed into true friendship. To this day, they're the only reason I keep going."

"But what if they don't accept me? I'm not like you, after all."

"Cassandra, your plight is as unfortunate as any of ours. Only someone with no compassion would not sympathise with what your family has done to you."

"Please don't mention my family". Cassandra jumped off of Lizardman's back and made eye contact with him. "I don't want to think about them, anymore. I know that they will never take me back. I want to forget about them and start a new life."

"Do you think about them often?"

"Almost every waking moment". Cassandra began to cry again, and Lizardman held her in his warm embrace. "I'm sorry", she said. "I'm stronger than this, I know I am. I just have to move on… I just –"

"Tears are no sign of weakness, my dear child. You have already proven yourself to be a brave and honourable woman by risking your life to destroy Soul Edge. No one could question your resolve"

Cassandra looked up at him, and tried her best to smile. "We are not far from my comrades' caves", Lizardman assured her. "Another couple of miles, and you shall have somewhere safe to shelter once again"

Indeed, within the space of an hour they had arrived at the caves. Cassandra gingerly stepped inside, and was amazed at what she saw. Six other lizardmen were situated inside the cave, burning fires to keep warm, and cooking what appeared to be a gazelle. All six of these creatures looked at Cassandra, and then they lunged forward at her.

"Stop!" Lizardman ordered the other six. "This is no intruder. She is a lost soul, just like us"

The lizardmen all looked at each other.

"She has healed me, and restored my humanity. Perhaps she can restore yours as well"

The lizardmen stepped towards her, but this time they did not want to attack. They looked at her pleadingly – all they wanted was to become human once again. Cassandra carefully placed her hand upon one of the lizardmen's chests, but nothing happened. There was no white smoke, or screaming, or any sensation of falling.

"I'm sorry", Cassandra said. "But I don't think I can help you"

The six lizardmen wandered back to their previous positions, disappointed. Lizardman turned to her. "But why would your touch cure me", Lizardman asked, "but not them? Their souls were enclosed within Soul Edge as well"

"Perhaps there's a special connection between us, something that means that I've been destined to help you all my life". They smiled at each other.

The gazelle was now fully cooked, and the lizardmen offered some to Cassandra. At first she was reluctant, but eventually she decided to eat some. It tasted much better than she expected it to, so she ate some more. Once she had had her fill, she realised that she had not yet expressed gratitude for their offer of shelter.

"Thank you for taking me in", she said. "I don't know how I can repay you"

"My dear girl, I'm the one repaying you", Lizardman said. "Society has rejected us. We all have to help each other"

"Well, in that case, there's something else I'd really like"

"What would that be?"

"Could you possibly forge me some weapons?" Cassandra asked. "I had to relinquish my sword and shield when I was banished from Athens, and I've been defenceless ever since. If I plan to live like this, I need something to protect myself with"

"My comrades here are excellent blacksmiths", Lizardman said, and he turned to the smallest one. "Would you be able to forge this girl some new weapons tomorrow morning?"

He nodded, and set to work finding metal for its construction. Cassandra turned to Lizardman.

"Hold on. If these creatures aren't human, how can they understand you?"

"You underestimate just how close we have become. We have reached a point where our communication does not even need words for us to understand each other"

"Wow. I hope I can become a part of your comradeship someday"

"I'm sure you will, my love. But it's been a tiring day. We should probably get some sleep."

And so the other lizardmen (excluding the short one, who was still collecting metal) huddled together in the middle of the room. Cassandra had a look of confusion on her face, which Lizardman was quick to dispel.

"Our lizard anatomy means that we are cold-blooded. We have to huddle together for warmth during these cold nights"

He joined the other lizardmen, and soon enough the short lizardman came back with scraps of metal, which he set aside on one of the cave's walls, and he joined them in their sleep. Eventually, Cassandra lay down next to Lizardman, her front pressed against his back, and, stroking his scaly skin, she soon fell asleep as well.

When she woke up the next morning, she found that all of the lizardmen bar one had disappeared. The one that was still in the cave walked up to her and handed her a newly forged axe and shield. It was rather crude, and of considerably lower quality than her previous weapons, which had been forged from holy metal, but she realised that this was better than having no weapons at all, and it was clear that the lizardmen took pride in these weapons.

"Thank you". She went outside to try and find the other lizardmen. Eventually, she found them in a nearby field gathering vegetables. One of them had also managed to kill a few passing rabbits. Suddenly, Lizardman looked up. "Ah, there you are, Cassandra", he said. "Do you like your new weapons?"

"Er…" She was careful not to be too honest. "They're OK, I guess, but… I'm not really used to use an axe as a weapon. I've always used swords…"

"Well, why don't we train each other?" Lizardman suggested. "We can teach you our fighting techniques, and you can teach us yours. You're clearly a capable warrior if you were able to defeat Soul Edge – we could learn a lot from you."

Cassandra blushed slightly. Lizardman pointed to the pile of vegetables they had collected – it consisted of aubergines, courgettes, potatoes and cabbages. "Here", he said. "Could you carry some of these vegetables back to the caves? After we've had breakfast we can work on our self-defense"

Cassandra took as many of the vegetables as she could manage. None of them looked particularly appetising, but it had been many months since Cassandra had eaten a proper meal – since she had been expelled from Athens, she had survived on whatever she could find, and the prospect of a hot meal made her happier. Soon after she had returned to the cave, the other lizardmen came along and brought back the remaining vegetables. One of them was carrying several rabbits, and one had even caught a fish from a nearby stream. The fish, rabbits and cabbages were cooked, whilst the rest was stored away for later. Cassandra found that she was ravenous, and in less than a minute she had finished her portion of the food. The other lizardmen stared in astonishment.

"How long has it been since you had a proper meal?" Lizardman asked.

"A long time. I don't tend to think about it too much…"

Soon, the rest of them had finished their meals, and they all went out to do some training.

"So…" Cassandra said. "Am I teaching you my techniques first, or are you teaching me yours?"

"You have a far nobler disposition and greater emotional strength than we do", Lizardman said. "You should teach us your techniques first"

The rest of the lizardmen nodded in agreement.

"Well, OK. My techniques aren't really suited for axes, but I'll give it a try…" She swung her axe lightly through the air. "The way I see it, once your opponent leaves you an opportunity to attack, you have to take that opportunity and keep attacking. Don't stop, don't give them a chance to strike back. Like this." At which point Cassandra let out a smooth-flowing series of strikes, swipes and stabs. The other lizardmen were astonished and mesmerised.

"Here's what we'll do". Cassandra stood in front of a nearby oak tree. "I'll showcase my techniques on this tree, and once I'm finished, you'll all give it a go, OK?"

The lizardmen nodded. She let out a series of strikes against the tree, just as she had before, culminating by jumping into the air and spinning, continuing to strike the tree whilst doing so. Once she had finished, the tree looked as though a family of angry tigers had clawed at it – there were deep cuts up and down its bark. Cassandra turned to the lizardmen. "Now it's your turn"

Immediately, they all tried to copy her, but to Cassandra's dismay they were unable to do so. Three fell over trying to emulate Cassandra's dizzying attack speed, and when one of them jumped clumsily into the air, he ended up landing straight on top of the other two lizardmen. Despite their desperate circumstances, Cassandra found herself giggling slightly. Lizardman approached her.

"Perhaps teaching you our techniques would be a better starting point", Lizardman said. "At this rate, we'll all kill ourselves before we can even think about defending ourselves from outside threats". Cassandra and Lizardman looked at each other, and suddenly burst out laughing. The other lizardmen, who were still on the ground and trying frantically to get up, looked up at these two, and began to laugh with them. As she laughed, Cassandra felt herself grow happier– it was as though she had known these creatures all her life. In that instant, she realised that they were her new family.

"Alright", Cassandra said finally. "That's enough practicing of my techniques for now."

She turned to the other lizardmen.

"Come on, guys. Show me the ropes!"


	5. The Massacre

For the next few weeks, Cassandra spent her days training with the lizardmen. She struggled with their techniques at first, but soon enough she became used to utilising her axe, and proved to be an even more proficient fighter than Lizardman could ever have anticipated. One day, after they had collected food for dinner, Lizardman went up to her and proposed that they might spar together that afternoon.

"Spar? Do… do you think I'm ready?" Cassandra asked, somewhat flustered.

"You're more than ready, my child. It's time to put your skills to the test"

The two of them walked outside, and got into position. The other lizardmen crowded around them in a large circle.

"Ready… go!" Lizardman shouted, and the fight began.

Cassandra began by swiping at Lizardman's chest – he easily blocked her attack, and knocked her to the ground. She quickly got up, and aimed a kick at his shin to open him up for further assault. However, he caught her foot and she fell to the ground.

"You're too impetuous", Lizardman said. "Step back, and plan your moves carefully"

Cassandra did just that, and a few seconds later, the match resumed. Cassandra decided to hit Lizardman's head with her shield – this time she got a clean hit. He swiped at her, but she managed to duck under it and swipe him in retaliation. Cassandra found that defense, rather than offense, was the best strategy – she anticipation Lizardman's moves, and took advantage of her opening to attack. Eventually, Lizardman called off the sparring session.

"I think I have seen enough", Lizardman said. "You have clearly learnt our fighting techniques very well. They shall come in handy in the near future"

The other lizardmen cried in a primitive cheer.

"Great!" Cassandra felt happy once again. "So shall I start teaching you my techniques now?"

"We have no time just yet, my love", Lizardman said.

"No time? What are you talking about? What else are we going to do?"

"The time has almost come"

"The time for what, exactly?"

Lizardman looked at her with a puzzled expression. "Is it not obvious? We have to calculate how we shall take vengeance upon those who have betrayed us!"

Cassandra was shocked, as though everything she had ever known had been revealed to be a lie. "What? We can't do that!"

"Why not? What purpose is there in living if we cannot gain revenge?"

Cassandra suddenly became very agitated. "You know, Aeon", she said, "I thought you were different, but I guess I was wrong. I thought you were a kind-hearted, level-headed sort of person, someone that I'd happily call a friend. But now I see that your emotions have possessed you to the point where you can't see sense. Revenge never solves anything! It only makes us more embittered! And what if it goes wrong?"

"Darling, you clearly don't understand."

"You're right, I clearly don't!"

"All will become clear soon enough…"

"Please". Cassandra's tone had shifted suddenly. "You can't do this! You can't, you can't, you can't! You're the only family I have now! You are the only people I can depend upon! Why would you be prepared to risk your lives and leave me all alone?"

Lizardman beckoned for the others to return to the cave, and once they had done so, he turned to Cassandra once again. "Perhaps hunger is making your mind confused. Come – after some dinner and a good night's sleep, you'll realise that what we plan to accomplish is for the best!"

But whilst the group were eating together, Cassandra's confidence continued to plummet. Eventually, she could not bear it any longer, and quickly ran out of the cave. She thought about everything that had happened to her – this man, who she had thought to be a paragon of compassion and virtue, was little more than a narrow-minded, cold-hearted and jaded spirit. She vomited onto the ground as she thought about everything that was happening. After a couple of minutes, Lizardman came out to comfort her.

"Please, my darling. Don't be so mournful", he said, laying a hand on her shoulder. Cassandra was ominously pale. "We will be fine, as long as we work together"

Cassandra sniffed, and turned to him. "Are you…are you sure?"

"I have never been so sure of anything in my life. We shall gain revenge on those who have done us wrong, and then we can live in peace."

"But why? Why must they do this?"

"My girl, in this world, you have a choice – you can either kill, or you can be killed. If we let these people live, they would not hesitate to annihilate us in an instant. We have to do this for the greater good. Trust me."

As Lizardman gave her words of encouragement about their upcoming siege, Cassandra listened and tried as best as she could to put faith in him. But deep in her heart, she knew that she could never agree with what this creature was telling her. She found herself unable to sleep that night, so she looked upon the lizardmen surrounding her. For weeks she had considered these creatures to be more than just friends, but almost like a true family to her. But now, they seemed as abhorrent as when she had first met Lizardman in his primal, insane, inhuman state. Suddenly, without any conscious thought, she found herself praying. She was not sure what to pray for – she had kept her emotions suppressed most of the time, out of necessity, and it was as though she had almost forgotten how to feel. Perhaps that was why these lizardmen could not be helped – they had lost their capacity for emotions. The air was silent – Cassandra did not gain any response. She was not surprised, but she was saddened nonetheless - this had been her last hope. Now all she could do was wait, and see what happened.

The other lizardmen woke early the next morning. Cassandra was weary from her lack of sleep, but she immediately became alert when she saw the other lizardmen gathering their axes and shields. She did not realise that the attack would be so early. Lizardman came over and handed Cassandra her weapons.

"Aeon… we're leaving now?"

"Of course. The city is several miles away – we must make tracks as quickly as possible"

Indeed, within five minutes, the group were heading off towards the east, into the sunrise, having skipped breakfast. Cassandra was beginning to feel somewhat hungry, but she did not dare to complain. She simply followed these creatures without saying anything, saving her energy, afraid of the future. With each step, Cassandra felt as though another piece of her soul was dying – she could hardly bear it. She wanted to break away, but she knew that there was nowhere else for her to go.

As time went on, her fears were replaced by exhaustion. They marched for hours on end, and yet they appeared to be no closer to civilisation. The other lizardmen had ceased communication – they were all intently focused upon their goal. Finally, on the horizon, Cassandra could see the faint outlines of several tiny huts – they were close to a village.

Once they had arrived at the village, Cassandra could see people tending their cattle and harvesting vegetables, just as she had with the lizardmen for so many weeks. A little girl was playing with stones on the ground, but as soon as she looked up, she could see these creatures staring at her with menacing blood-red eyes. Immediately, she screamed and ran away. Soon enough, everyone else who was outside, men, women and children alike, fled from them. Lizardman raised his axe.

"Charge!" Immediately, the lizardmen rampaged towards the innocent village people. Cassandra watched in horror, and could hardly believe what she was seeing. Left, right and centre, the lizardmen were mercilessly slaughtering these helpless people. Children were sliced into pieces, and men and women brutally attacked until they fell to the floor in agony, their blood culminating into scarlet puddles on the floor. It was not long before every person in the village had been killed. After they had completed their massacre, the lizardmen began to feast on the corpses. The blood gushed, and splattered Cassandra's clothes. She could not stand it any longer – it had been even worse than she had feared. She could not believe that everything had changed so quickly, and so horrifically. The realisation sank in that these lizardmen had been savages from the start – she had simply been blind to their atrocities before now.

She backed away and, unable to control herself, she let out a blood-curdling, ear-splitting scream. All of the lizardmen cringed in agony as Cassandra's voice resonated through the air. Disturbed ravens flew upwards, away from the trees where they had been nesting. Exhausted and totally disillusioned, Cassandra fell to the ground, yet she remained conscious. She lay there for several minutes until the lizardmen picked her up and carried her back to the caves.


	6. Compassion and Sacrifice

After the lizardmen had lain Cassandra down on the floor, Cassandra continued to stare vacantly at the ceiling. Lizardman peered over her and asked, in an amiable tone, "Cassandra, are you OK?"

Cassandra badly wanted to scream "No, I'm not OK at all, you heartless, murdering bastard!", but when she opened her mouth, she found herself completely unable to vocalise her jumbled thoughts. She looked down at her clothes – she was still covered in blood, which had now dried, and pieces of it were flaking off onto the ground. Eventually, after giving up her vain attempts to voice her disgust, she decided upon a more immediate and simple request. "Could you carry me to the river, please?" she asked quietly. "I would like to wash before I retire for the day"

Lizardman immediately dispatched two of them to carry her to the river nearby, so that she could bathe. She stooped down to remove her shoes, when she suddenly looked behind her. The two lizardmen were still stood there, resolutely.

"Can you go, please? I'd like some privacy."

They shrugged, and sauntered off. Once Cassandra was sure that she was definitely alone, she removed her clothes and immersed herself in the river. She frantically scrubbed herself all over, but it was no use – even though the blood has disappeared, she could do nothing to clean herself emotionally. The horrors she had seen would stay with her forever. She also discovered that the blood would not wash off from her clothes, meaning that she would have a constant reminder of the atrocities she had witnessed.

Once she had finished bathing, she spent a long time kneeling on the ground, and whenever she tried to stand up, the painful memories came flooding back. "How", she thought, "can I return to such bloodthirsty creatures? How can I stand to live with them?" But of course, Cassandra still had nowhere else to go – if she left them, her only other option was to be completely and utterly alone. Reluctantly, she rose, and by this point it was nightfall. When she returned to the caves, the other lizardmen were already asleep. Unable to bear the thought of sleeping next to them, she ended up resting just outside of the caves instead. It was much colder, but she preferred suffering the cold to lying next to a group of murderers.

When she awoke, she peered into the caves, and to her disgust she found that the lizardmen were gathering their weapons once again. Lizardman looked up at her and walked to her side.

"Hello, Cassandra. What are you doing outside?"

"Aeon", she said, "what's going on here?" She did not know why she had asked him this question, because she knew exactly what was about to happen.

"Why, we're heading for another siege, of course. We had a very fortunate plight yesterday…" Cassandra shudders slightly. "So I see no reason whatsoever not to attack another village today. We must bring those dreadful humans down to their knees!"

"They're not dreadful!" Cassandra shouted. "Those were innocent people you killed in cold blood! They would never harm any of you in their lives!"

"Dear girl, that's what they want us to believe. You can't trust anyone in this world!"

"Well, you're right on that one. I thought I could trust you, but clearly I was wrong! And if all of those humans are so 'dreadful' to you, then what the hell does that make me?"

"Cassandra, you are so different from the others…"

"Oh yeah, how? What makes me any different? Because I 'returned your humanity'? This is sick!"

"Now, now, Cassandra". Cassandra was unsure about how much longer she could stand his affable façade. "When you join us, and participate in these purges, you will see that it is for the best"

So Cassandra joined them in their journey to the next village. But with each step she took, she found herself desperate to get away from these creatures. "I don't care if I have to make it by myself", she thought. "I have to get away from them". After the group had been travelling for around half an hour, she began to sprint away from the group. Immediately, the lizardmen turned towards her.

"Cassandra, stop!" Aeon shouted. "We need you!"

She tried her best to ignore him, and keep running, but she found herself slowing down her pace slightly.

"Don't leave me!" She turned around. Lizardman seemed to have broken down into tears. "Please, don't do this! We cannot afford to be separated in this cruel world!"

Against her better judgment, Cassandra found herself turning back towards these creatures, all of whom had become hell spawn within her mind, and found herself joining the group once again.

The march to the next village was even longer and more arduous than the march to the first. However, Cassandra's hunger and thirst was overpowered by her fear and dread of the massacre she knew that she was going to witness, that she knew she was going to take a part in. By the time they had arrived at the village, it was almost sunset. Immediately, Cassandra could see two children playing together in the fields, one boy and one girl. She stared intently at their faces – they looked almost identical to Pyrrha and Patroklos. She grimaced slightly. The thought of killing anyone without just cause distressed her, but if she were to allow these children to fall, she would be forced to relive the pain of being cast from Athens. She could still remember Sophitia's last words to her:

"Even if no one else knows it for sure, I do. You killed her. And I can never look at you in the same way because of it"

Cassandra's fist tightened. "I'm not going to let that happen again", she whispered. "I won't make the same mistake again"

The workers in the village had suddenly noticed the presence of the lizardmen, and froze with shock. Lizardman seized this opportunity, and turned towards his compatriots whilst pointing his axe towards the village.

"Ready? Charge!"

The lizardmen swarmed, and the conflict began. Some of the village people tried to flee. Others tried in vain to protect themselves with whatever tools they could find. Cassandra, however, was blind to the mindless bloodshed that persisted all around her. Amidst the havoc, she could see the two terrified children, who were too frightened to move, and clinging desperately to each other.

"I must protect them!"

For the next hour, the village people were brutally put down by the lizardmen. Just as before, no one was spared. A sea of bodies lay on the floor – some were already dead, whilst others were still writhing with intense pain. The lizardmen plundered the village for food and materials, and they gathered together their stolen goods, away from the mass of corpses that lay behind them.

"Men, we have brought justice upon another group of loathsome humans", Lizardman said triumphantly. "We may not be able to destroy everyone who is a threat to us, but rest assured that as long as we have the will to fight, and the will to protect ourselves, we will survive."

After finishing his speech, Lizardman suddenly realised that Cassandra was nowhere to be seen.

"Cassandra?" His tone had now become one of panic. "Where are you?"

Immediately he began searching through the bodies strewn across the ground, and the other lizardmen dispatched to help him. They looked inside every hut, in every field, behind every tree, but she was nowhere to be found. Eventually, one of the lizardmen growled, and beckoned the others. They all crowded around, and gasped in disbelief at what they saw.

Cassandra was lying on the ground, eyes closed and ghostly pale, and she had a deep cut all the way down her chest, which had caused blood to ebb onto the ground around her. Next to her were the two small children she had tried, and failed, to protect, who were curled up like snakes next to her. Lizardman desperately placed his hand upon her chest, hoping that she might have somehow survived. But she did not breathe. Angrily, he turned to the other lizardmen.

"Which one of you bastards killed her? Answer me!"

They all looked at each other, and bowed their heads in shame. The truth was that no one knew who had killed her – they had been so overpowered by their lust for bloodshed and revenge that they had not even noticed that Cassandra had fallen in the midst of battle. She had opposed them, refusing to let them harm the children, but their fury knew no limits. Blind to the world, one of them had struck her down along with the children.

"What if it was me?" Lizardman could not bear the thought that he might have killed her. "I can't let it end like this", he said resolutely. "We must honour her".

Solemnly, he and his comrades turned away from the village, leaving behind the goods they had stolen, and carried her dead body back to the caves.


	7. Aftermath

Late at night, the lizardmen finally finished digging the grave. Two more of them came forward, carrying Cassandra's corpse. Her face looked troubled and frightened – nothing like her brave former self, and her lip curled slightly out of place. The two lizardmen laid her on the ground, and began to bury her. After they had done so, the lizardmen gathered flowers and laid them around her grave – roses, daisies and tulips were carefully arranged around her, almost like a shrine, and as they did so, Lizardman found that tears were stinging his eyes. He still could not believe that Cassandra was really gone. He turned to the others, and began to make a speech.

"We are gathered here today", he began, "to commiserate the loss of one of our greatest friends, Cassandra". The other lizardmen all had their heads bowed solemnly, but it was clear that they took note of what he was saying. "She was truly a free spirit, and her greatest virtue was that she used that freedom to help others, and to free the world from the wrath of Soul Edge. She was misunderstood by her own kind, and she was able to restore me to humanity. Truly, her life was a sad one, but nonetheless, her selflessness and courage should be celebrated."

The flowers blew slightly in the gentle autumn breeze.

"She also taught me a very important lesson", he continued. "From this moment on, I believe that we should not kill any human unprovoked"

The lizardmen stared at each other in disbelief. "Yes, it is true, we have all been betrayed by humans in the past, in some way or another. But we attacked innocent people – people who had no idea of who we were and were not at fault in any way. We were proving all of those other humans right – we were monsters, we were out of control. It's just a shame that it wasn't until Cassandra's death that I was able to realise that."

Lizardman raised his head slightly, and looked at each of his comrades in the eyes. "From this moment on, we shall only attack a human in self-defence. Under no circumstances should we harm anyone who has not tried to harm us"

The other lizardmen were still having trouble comprehending what he was saying. "If we don't do this, Cassandra's death will have truly been for nothing. We owe it to ourselves… and to her".

After he had finished speaking, he led the other lizardmen away into a nearby field to search for food. Since that day, no human has ever laid eyes on any of the lizardmen. How long they lived for, what they did and where they went still remain a mystery, and will almost certainly remain a mystery forever. Perhaps some are still out there, and still pay tributes to Cassandra's grave each day with fresh flowers. Cassandra's life was a sad one, but history will never know that – they will only see the faint inscription on her grave stone:

"Cassandra Alexandra – a free spirit through life and death"


End file.
